A BRANCH on a 100-year-old oak tree has collapsed, crushing a dog bin.

The huge branch of the tree, opposite Lee Chapel School, in The Knares, Laindon, collapsed over the weekend.

Luckily, nobody was injured after it fell and only the dog bin was damaged.

Councillor Stephen Hodge went to inspect the damage after he was notified and has reported the issue to Basildon Council, who will clear the damaged tree and the broken bin.

He said: “It was very lucky that no one was injured as this is a very popular local park.”

Trees dropping branches is a relatively common occurrence.

It can be caused by ill health of the tree, high winds or due to ‘limp drop.’

This is common in oak trees and happens when it has soaked in a lot of rain water during a warm day.

When the weather suddenly cools down, if the tree hasn’t had a chance to shed some of the moisture through its leaves, the weight of the water can cause the branch to snap off.